


If it helped them, who was he to say anything?

by Formula_Tea



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 06:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5817457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Formula_Tea/pseuds/Formula_Tea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lewis and Bruno take a trip to Ayrton's grave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If it helped them, who was he to say anything?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Of_Electric_Sheep](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Of_Electric_Sheep/gifts).



> It occurred to me whilst writing this that I don't actually know if Ayrton was buried or cremated, but I decided in this he was buried because it just makes it more meaningful, I guess. To Lewis, anyway.

“Will you go with me?”

Bruno knew he should have said no. He knew nothing good ever came from when he was alone with Lewis. He’d sat listening to the Brit go on for hours, although “listen” probably wasn’t the best word when he’d tuned out hours ago. All he’d wanted to do was get away.

But, for some reason, Bruno found himself nodding, agreeing to go with him.

To Ayrton’s grave.

 

Bruno hung back, watching as Lewis placed flowers on the grave. The graveyard was eerily silent and it gave Bruno the creeps a little.

He didn’t come here often. Bianca didn’t either. He knew his Uncle Leonardo came every once in a while, to make sure the grave was well kept and managed. It wasn’t really necessary, though. Enough people came here to keep the flowers new and the candles lit. Bruno didn’t know _why_.

His uncle wasn’t here. Not really.

But if it helped them, who was he to say anything?

“Third championship,” Lewis murmured, just loud enough for Bruno to hear. “Never would have thought it would happen, would you? I don’t know how I feel about it now. I mean, when it happened… when I crossed that line in Austin, it was crazy. I thought I might explode or something. But it’s died down a little now. I can think a little clearer now. About what I’ve done.”

Bruno rolled his eyes, shifting from foot to foot. He didn’t really know what he’d expected when he’d agreed to come here, but it should have been this, really. Bruno looked around the strangely deserted grave yard. If he left now, he wondered how long Lewis would take to notice he was gone.

“I don’t know, man,” Lewis said. “It’s like… everyone keeps going on about how I’ve done it. How I’ve… it’s like I’ve finished. I mean, it’s a great accomplishment and everything, but I don’t want people to think that’s it. That’s all I’m good for. I can do more. I know I can.”

Bruno shivered. It wasn’t cold here, but Bruno always felt a chilly breeze in the graveyard. He wasn’t superstitious enough to think it was ghosts or anything supernatural. It was probably just some trick the care takers pulled. Outdoor air conditioning or something. Was that even a thing?

He pulled the hood of his jacket up over his head, hoping to protect his ears from the weird chill.

“It’s not as if I’ve really shown what I could do, either,” Lewis continued. “I mean, there hasn’t been any real competition. I don’t want them to think I wouldn’t be able to handle my Prost. Because I can. You know I can.”

Bruno groaned silently, looking around for a bench or something. He didn’t know how long this was going to go on for, but knowing how long Lewis normally went on for, he got the feeling this wasn’t going to be over soon.

He couldn’t blame him though, Bruno reminded himself. If this helped Lewis get through whatever he was going through… Who knew? Maybe his uncle was actually listening and would come down and tell Lewis to stop being such an arrogant shit.

Bruno took his phone out of his pocket, trying to zone out of their weird conversation Lewis was having with a grave stone.

It would be sweet, really, Bruno thought, if he didn’t know what Lewis was really like…

_“Guess who I’m with…”_

Nico and Karun took it in turns to distract Bruno whenever Lewis was going through one of his… moments. Today it was Nico’s turn.

The Frenchman replied less than half a minute later.

 _“Not again_.”

Sometimes it felt wrong, like he was making fun of Lewis behind his back. But there was nothing fun about it…

 _“Tell him to piss off,”_ Nico said before Bruno could reply.

Bruno looked up at Lewis, who was now sat in the grass beside the grave stone. Bruno had always found it odd to talk to a grave stone. He knew his mother sometimes came here because the silence helped her think clearly, but they all knew that talking to Ayrton here was no better than talking to him anywhere else.

Bruno had once tried to explain that to Lewis, when the Brit had asked how often he visited the grave. He didn’t think Lewis understood.

_“I can’t do that. It’s rude.”_

Oh how life would be easier if he could do that. If he could just ignore the endless questions that Lewis brought to him, even now. But Bruno was obliged to answer them. Who else was going to?

And it helped Lewis cope. He thought.

_“Dad says you should tell him to piss off.”_

Bruno couldn’t help but smile at that.

_“And he’s going to listen to Alain Prost?”_

It was the last person on the planet Lewis was going to listen to.

_“Good point. Fine. But if you’re not back in an hour. I’m phoning the police. I’m not risking it after last time.”_

_“Fine.”_

Bruno rolled his eyes again. He knew Nico and Karun worried for the right reasons, but he hardly thought Lewis was going to do anything that _bad_. Insensitive and accidentally hurtful, maybe, but not _bad_.

“…I’ll make you proud. I promise.”

Lewis stood, his back still to Bruno, and Bruno hoped this meant he was nearly finished. He’d lost track of how long they’d been stood there, but his feet were starting to go numb now and his stomach was rumbling. It was time to go home.

The Brit turned around and started walking away from the grave when he spotted Bruno and stopped, taking a few steps back. Bruno half shrugged and offered him a small smile, hoping it might be a little comfort.

“Ayrton?”

The smile was gone.

“Bruno,” Bruno said, though clenched teeth.

Lewis looked at him for a couple of moments, confusion on his face, before he seemed to snap back to reality and smiled back at Bruno.

“Of course,” he said, crossing back over to the path and patting Bruno on the back. “Sorry, man. You know what it’s like when you kind of, you know, get in the zone.”

“Sure,” Bruno said, trying to smile as he walked with Lewis back to the car. He knew what Lewis could be like when he got into the “zone”…


End file.
